B-17 is designed to be primarily a solo game. One person controls a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, trying to survive German fighter attacks and drop its load of bombs on its target, then return home safely.

The game is driven by simple charts and d6 die rolls to determine everything from the bomber's target and formation position to weather, flak, and German fighter opposition as the B-17 makes its way over land and sea to its target.